What have the Kiwis got that we haven’t?

Our population figures are almost identical, our climates are similar, as is our love of sport. So why is New Zealand — and not Ireland — punching above its weight at the Olympic Games?

ON Saturday night in the minutes before Usain Bolt created history in the 100m final, an impromptu party had developed in a corner of the Bird’s Nest Stadium.

At one stage the gathering spilled onto the track forcing an official to herd the excited group onto the infield so as not to impede the 800m heats of the Women’s Heptathlon.

At the centre of the vortex stood Valerie Vili, the Olympic shot putt champion.

But it wasn’t just because she won New Zealand’s first track and field gold since Yvette Williams in 1952 that had the Kiwis in the crowd and in the press box applauding.

Her success was the final headline maker of a remarkable seven hour medal haul for the nation. Earlier that day, termed ‘Super Saturday’ by the New Zealand Herald, cyclist Hayden Roulston took silver in the 4000m individual pursuit while out at the Shunyi Rowing Park, Caroline and Georgina Evers-Swindell won gold in the double sculls; Mahe Drysdale was third in the singles after George Bridgewater and Nathan Twaddle captured bronze in the pairs. Yesterday Bevan Doherty came third in the men’s triathlon while Nicholas Willis grabbed the same position in the men’s 1500m to bring the New Zealand medals tally to seven, two golds, one silver and five bronze.

But Olympic success is familiar to competitors from the land of the long white cloud. Since 1920, when it split from Australia, New Zealand has failed to win a medal at just two Summer Games — London in 1948 and Moscow in 1980. The spectrum of sports in which they are successful is also noteworthy. In the last eight years, the Kiwis have won medals in athletics, cycling, equestrian, kayaking, rowing, sailing and triathlon. New Zealand is represented in 17 disciplines at these Olympics boasting a team of 182 athletes. Ireland is competing in 12 codes with 54 competitors.

So what are they doing differently?

“The comparison between the countries is quite ironic,” noted Rowing New Zealand’s High Performance manager Andrew Matheson. “Back home we are being compared economically to Ireland and the perception is that we are failing in that regard.

“Sport is very important to us as a nation. We use it to define who we are. If the All Blacks are on a high, the entire country is on a high. And when it comes to the Olympics there is a huge level of interest and expectation. Politicians seeking re-election know that the sport card can be one to play when they are seeking votes.”

It’s a point shared by Coen Lammers, Deputy Editor of the Christchurch Press.

“Sport is just incredible to the New Zealand psyche,” he stressed. “It is an open secret that the government will call an election if these are a good Olympics because the chance of re-election will be better.”

Such opinion is not just sentiment. SPARC (Sport & Recreation New Zealand) is the banker and organiser for New Zealand Sports. Its mission statement notes: “New Zealanders believe winning in international events is important. It offers social, economic and health benefit. It helps create a strong sense of national identity and pride; it creates a healthy image for marketing New Zealand goods abroad; it helps attract high profile sports events to New Zealand.”

Last year the Government invested NZ $32m (€15.4m) into High Performance Sport. Ninety per cent of this investment is targeted at National Sports Organisations, athletes or coaches while monies are also invested in the New Zealand Academy of Sport (NZAS).

Continued Matheson: “We invest a lot of money in our sports. In rowing we are at a huge disadvantage as it is primarily a European-based sport. But in recent years we are investing heavily in sending our junior rowers to European competition because we believe it will be hugely beneficial in years to come. High performance rowing receives almost €2m per year. Five years ago that figure was €500,000.”

But like Ireland, Olympic sports vie for the hearts of youngsters and the cheque books of sponsors. Replace hurling and football with rugby and you get the picture. But New Zealand’s most recognisable sports brand is counterproductive, according to Lammers.

He explained: “I wouldn’t be surprised if 75% of the major sponsorship money goes to the All Blacks and 25% goes to the other sports. The difference is completely insane. It is a small miracle that we do so well in so many different sports. But we are lucky also to have come across some amazing sports talent. If you are successful in sports you attract younger kids and it becomes self perpetuating.”

Matheson has issues with the oval code for other reasons. “A huge amount of talent gets drawn into rugby, youngsters who have the height and athleticism to do well in other sports. But rugby has the money and the appeal.” (Ironically TV figures from the weekend show that 100,000 more watched Vili’s shot putt success than the All Blacks 19-0 over world champions South Africa at 1am on Sunday morning New Zealand time).

So what’s the secret to New Zealand’s success and can the Irish copy it?

Matheson ponders for a second: “There is no easy answer. You must have hard graft, great athletes, good coaching, good support, great planning and a good financial base.”

Lammers thinks it is more complex than that: “The key is psyche. Every kid in New Zealand plays sport and most plays five or six different sports. But Kiwi ingenuity is another factor. Because we are stuck at the bottom of the world where it took months in the old days for a ship to arrive, people learned to survive by fixing things or making things.

“And that attitude still persists. For example the Speedo suits that Michael Phelps won his medals in were trialled and fine-tuned in Dunedin. The bike design that forms the basis for the New Zealand track team was built in the back shed by a guy who was a former yacht maker. That ingenuity and that ability to make things happen with limited money is one of our secrets.

“But the most important thing is that sport is just everything in New Zealand.”